HelenRobertsNZ Member

I always log, because I know that I'll dismiss those unlogged chocolates and chips as somehow not counting. I can easily see myself slipping back to my old "eat a handful of XXX" every time I go to the kitchen habits.

Kapiti Coast/Wellington, New Zealand here.

It's good to have a little something to look forward to - I allow for chocolate nearly every night. The other night I didn't have any, and found myself gravitating towards potato chips and muesli bars, so now it's the first thing to go into my food diary every day.

I've had a lifetime of being overweight, currently morbidly obese - that scared me. I checked out my BMI, and then spent a month eating everything, telling myself that I was so enormous that it didn't matter if I demolished huge bars of chocolate or a whole bag of corn chips. Mindless eating, I must have been consuming…

I worked out the calories for the muffins that are sitting on my bench, and decided I'd rather use those calories elsewhere. Four weeks ago I would have eaten the muffin, then another and probably another without a second thought.

I don't make excuses any longer - as a poster said above I either exercise or I don't, I keep within my calorie limit and make food choices that allow me to have 3 satisfying meals a day, plus chocolate when I feel like it. In the past, I've made every excuse under the sun - I'm so fat already that this large chocolate bar…

Yes! I've used the "match ingredients" for recipes, and they've come up with a huge calorie count because the garlic listing has 1300 calories for a clove. Obviously I go through and change it, but clean up and gram amounts for more items would be incredibly helpful.

So much inspiration in this thread! I'm amazed at how much younger some people look in their after photos - they look like mother and daughter, rather than the same person.

We did it - loved it while I was full of fire and resolve but soon became hungry, grumpy and dreaded the low cal days. I found myself overcompensating on the other days, and getting obsessed with food.

The recipe converter on here is really useful - I import a recipe I like the look of and rejig the ingredients to suit my calorie needs. If I need more it's easy enough to double the recipe, or husband and kids can have more rice/pasta etc.

I had chemo a couple of years ago (metastatic breast cancer, spine cancer) and I'd suggest being very kind to yourself during the process. The best dietary advice from my doctor was "some days will be donut days, so eat donuts" - he was absolutely right. Some days I wasn't hungry at all, some days the steroids made me…

Having grown up with a grandmother and schoolmates who always commented negatively about my weight, I can understand those little voices in your head that keep talking LONG after they should have quietened. Maybe find a new focus - think about gaining strength or some goal, with the weight loss as a pleasant side effect. I…

Set some calories aside for protein filled yumminess after the gym. Eating post-workout isn't negating the workout, and if you're hungry and getting tired from hunger then eat! I'm always hungry after the gym.

It would be miserable! I'd devour the contents of the fridge after one day of deprivation and my family would flee in the face of my crankiness. I'll think of her tonight as we tuck into our 500 cal spaghetti and meatballs.

Hi Cynthia. Congratulations indeed, what a fantastic loss!

I have major health and longevity reasons for losing weight, but honestly looking better is paramount most of the time. It's as valid a kick-start as any other reason. I have cancer and wish to have more time with my children and a happier more active life as a long term goal. Day to day though, fitting those jeans again…